surplus1 said:
If we say NO, Delta will go to the judge and seek to cancel our contract. The judge may agree and the judge may not.
If we say Yes, there is no guarantee of anything. Delta will simply continue to down size us and give our flying to other carriers.
So, how are we better off by agreeing to what they want than we are by forcing them to go to the judge? What is the real difference between the two?
That's the question we have to answer. Will they file 1113(c) against Comair? Probably yes. That still leaves time to negotiate and if we do not agree, then they ask the judge to cancel our contract. So what? Doesn't this blackmail have the same effect?[/quo
All of this capitulation of what to do, what not to do is just another example of the pathetic state of our industry. Everyone is so pissed off about the complete walmartization of our profession but nobody seems willing to do anything about it. Fact is, DAL and NW mgmt went Ch11 in order to secure a better future for
management... which is why they filed BEFORE Oct 17th. Furthermore, You guys and gals gave at the office with a pay freeze, the DAL pilots gave up 32% and the NW pilots first gave a freeze then concessions. Y'all (those being told to "take it or leave it" don't seem willing to say enough is enough. The bancruptcy process should only be used to get creditors in line with market rates, not to subrogate pilot contracts. But management sees ALPA as a complete joke, which it indeed is, and therefore is running with free reign to outright cancel contracts.
There are thousands of GOOD JOBS out there. There IS life beyond aviation, and a good life at that. If the flying club younglings want to come in and take over our profession for $50K a year, have at it. This job is hardly worth it at a $200K max. We are the only profession that will indefinitely miss the most vaulable moments in our kids lives because we're destined to living out of a suitcase half the month. Now managements think they can fill our cockpits with flight school grads who are foaming at the mouth with SJS, well... have at it.
And to the young guys coming in. Spare me the lecture about how you all need a fair shot, or about how my rhetoric is discriminating. I spent 7 years doing IOE at the regionals and if I had a nickal for every new guy who told me he'd do this job for free if they insisted, well, I wouldn't need to make a living flying airplanes any longer. By their 12 month anniversary date they're just as pissed off at our prospects as everyone else. Sure I was young once to, and I equally suffered from SJS when I left the flight school life, but I would have never continued pursuit of this profession if I thought I wouldn't be able to life a nice life. Nor would I ever even contemplate flying an airplane for free... any airplane.
If CMR pilots accept these 100 seat rates, the entire industry (read: majors and regionals) will eventually follow suit. We'll have senior wide-body captains making a MAXIMUM of $100k a year. Now that may sound just dandy to the average jet-school grad with 300hrs TT, hence there will be absolutely no shortage of new pilots willing to fill the shoes of those who leave the business, but that kind of living just won't cut it in this country.
It is pathetic to see ALPA National as impotent as it has ever been. It is equally tragic to see the NW MEC offer up their pilots profession on a platter to the company. DAL pilots will be next and so long as no pilot group is willing to "not rock the boat" our profession will continue to be decimated and any damage we do will take at least 20 years to recover from.
I must say, however, the Comair guys seem to have more gnads than the NW pilots, if the comments on these boards are any indication of the group. Imagine that, RJ pilots teaching the major guys a thing or two about growing a pair.
Remember, if there ain't any pilots to fly the birds, the judges will have absolutely no say in the matter. And the creditors will be screaming at managment to get their planes in the air again. There is only so much bloodshed that labor can take, isn't there?
